Versus to Become NBC Sports Network

NEW YORK: The NBC Sports Group is changing the name of Versus to the NBC Sports Network, effective January 2, 2012.

A number of NBC Sports production and programming elements have already been introduced on Versus following the Comcast merger. This includes adopting the "Inside the Glass" production philosophy for all its NHL games as well as adding horse racing and Notre Dame football-related programming. More changes should be expected in the future.

A redesigned NBC Sports logo will also be launched as of January 2, 2012. It will feature a slightly larger peacock, a new font for the letters NBC, a hand-lettered font for the word Sports, which has also been straightened to allow for the word Network to fit beneath it.

“This effort is a major step towards a complete strategic alignment of all our platforms and businesses,” said Mark Lazarus, the chairman at NBC Sports Group. “This is more than just a name change for Versus. It’s a complete repositioning of the brand to provide value for marketers, consumers as well as all our affiliates and distributors. We want anyone who comes into contact with any of our assets to immediately connect with the NBC Sports brand promise.”

“The re-brand effort afforded us the opportunity to modernize the NBC Sports logo,” added John Miller, the chief marketing officer at NBCUniversal Television Group and head of the NBC Sports Agency. “The changes are subtle, but signal a big change: a new beginning for the NBC Sports Group.”